MIO, MI

Mio is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Oscoda County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Oscoda County. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 1,826.

Mio is situated along the boundary between Mentor Township on the east, Big Creek Township on the west, and Elmer Township to the northwest. As an unincorporated community, Mio has no legal autonomy as an incorporated municipality.

History

The community was founded in 1881 and was originally called "Mioe", in honor of Marla Deyarmond, the wife of town founder Henry Deyarmond. Other founders included Colige Comins, Reirlo Fosdick, and John Randall. A post office named Mioe opened May 3, 1882. The name changed to Mio on November 21, 1883.

State record

On July 13, 1936, the temperature in Mio reached , the highest temperature ever recorded in Michigan.

The PBB contamination event of 1973

In 1973, a polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) contamination event caused farmers in the area to destroy their herds. This event contaminated various animals including cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep when a dock worker accidentally shipped five hundred pounds of fire retardant "Fire Master" instead of the feed supplement called Nutrimaster. Shortly after, the farmers noticed deformities and sickness among their livestock as well as the newborn calves. More than 35,000 cows were contaminated and destroyed. Out of these, 1,300 were dumped into a clay-lined pit in Mio. As of 2014, PBB is still detectable in some blood tests of people in this area.

Detroit-area hunters murdered

For nearly eighteen years, Mio was thrust into the local and national media spotlight due to a case involving two Detroit-area hunters who went missing in the fall of 1985 and all the residents of the area refused to help under fear of death or bodily harm. On November 21, 1985, childhood friends David Tyll and Brian Ognjan were beaten to death with baseball bats outside of a local bar. The case was eventually cracked in 2003, when two brothers, Raymond and Donald Duvall, both from South Branch, MI, in Iosco County, were convicted of murdering the pair near Mio. It was rumored that the murderers had disposed of the bodies by feeding them to pigs. When the two brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole, Tyll's father said, "They took my son. It doesn't bring him back, but it's something." A true account of the crimes was detailed in Darker Than Night, a 2006 book by Tom Henderson.

Historical markers

There are two historical markers in Mio.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of , of which is land and (6.79%) is water.

The Mio post office, with ZIP Code 48647, also serves the northern portions of Mentor Township and the northeastern part of Big Creek Township, as well as a large area of eastern and southern Elmer Township and smaller portions of western Clinton Township and Comins Township.

Geographic features

Mio, part of Northern Michigan, is situated in the Au Sable River Valley. It is surrounded by the Huron National Forest and near the Rifle River State Recreation Area. The area is part of the Au Sable State Forest, specifically the Grayling Forest Management Unit (Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, and northern Iosco counties). Much of the area sits on the Grayling outwash plain. The Oscoda County Park is minutes away.

Education

[http://www.miok12.net/ Mio-AuSable Schools] is a Kindergarten through 12th grade school, with all grades contained in one building. Middle school and high school students are enrolled in seven classes each day, and the year routine follows a semester schedule. Mio-AuSable currently offers two Advanced Placement (AP) courses, AP Biology and AP Calculus AB. The school does not offer any Honors courses, but to make up for the lack of advanced classes, students are encouraged to dual-enroll through Kirtland Community College. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can choose to take online classes through the nearby community college, and if the students receive at least a C in a course, they will be granted college credit in that course which may transfer into the university of their choice after high school.

The high school has about approximately 170 students and 17 teachers, some of which double as middle school teachers.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,016 people, 826 households, and 537 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 270.1 per square mile (104.3/km²). There were 1,191 housing units at an average density of 159.6 per square mile (61.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.83% White, 0.15% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

Many Mio residents are either Amish, of Amish descent, Mennonite, or of Mennonite descent with most being non-Anabaptist Christians.

There were 826 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,831, and the median income for a family was $31,379. Males had a median income of $29,542 versus $20,927 for females. The per capita income for the community was $13,064. About 13.9% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local attractions and activities

The community is centered in the Huron National Forest along the Au Sable River. Wildlife are nearby, including bear, deer, eagles, Kirtland's warblers, and turkeys. Local attractions and activities include:

Local recurring events

There are many recurring local events, including:

Other notable places

Notable Figures

Media

The following can be accessed in Mio, Michigan:

Newspapers

Television

Radio

FM

AM

There are no AM radio stations in range of Mio, Michigan, although WWJ can be heard faintly at night.